Elizabeth City is a medium-sized coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 18,756 people and ten associated neighborhoods, Elizabeth City is the 55th largest community in North Carolina.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 8.68% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because there are quite a few people attending college in Elizabeth City, it is thought of as a college town. To the benefit of the many students in the area, Elizabeth City provides a number of services, amenities and opportunities geared towards their needs and activities.

Elizabeth City is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

The overall education level of Elizabeth City is somewhat higher than in the average US city of 21.84%: 27.64% of adults 25 and older in the city have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Elizabeth City in 2022 was $26,894, which is lower middle income relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $107,576 for a family of four. However, Elizabeth City contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Elizabeth City is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Elizabeth City home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Elizabeth City residents report their race to be Black or African-American, followed by White. Important ancestries of people in Elizabeth City include Irish, English, German, Italian, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in Elizabeth City is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Langs. of India.